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According to data published by the Institute of International Education, approximately 30% of all international students studying at the master’s level in the US are studying business and management, and the great majority of these students are pursuing an MBA. That makes the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree by far one of the most popular degrees with international students.

As the popularity of the MBA degree has grown over the last decade, so have the number of options available to interested students. The most popular of these options continues to be the part-time MBA programmes that allow students to remain fully employed while completing their degree. This option is obviously very popular with American students because it makes the degree more affordable, and therefore more attainable, to more students.

International students, on the other hand, are generally not able to work while studying in the US, and therefore the most conducive option for them would be a full-time programme. This programme allows them to complete their degree faster, thereby being able to return to their home country (and hopefully a better paying job) more expediently. The great majority of full-time MBA programmes can be completed within 18 months. Therefore the length of the programme is probably the least important criterion that an international student should consider when choosing an MBA school. Some much more important factors to consider are the prestige of the programme, the level of difficulty, the type of concentrations offered, and the total cost of the programme.

How prestigious is the programme?

There are numerous newspapers and magazines in the US that publish lists ranking the “best” MBA schools and programmes in the country. Two of the most popular are published by Business Week and the US News and World Report. Business Week’s latest list was published in 2004, and Northwestern University’s programme came out in the top spot for the second time in a row. In fact, Northwestern has held the number one or number two spot on seven out of the last eight lists published by Business Week. US News and World Report, on the other hand, tends to rank Harvard University and Stanford University in the top two positions of its list. However, an international student needs to also consider the prestige that a degree from a particular US university will hold in his or her own home country. Some of the programmes that are very highly ranked on these lists may not be as well known outside the US.

How difficult is the programme?

Here there are two levels of difficulty to consider. The first is how difficult will it be to gain admission to the programme. This usually goes hand in hand with the programme’s level of prestige. It is normally a rule that the more highly ranked and well recognised, the more competitive the admission process will be. Many of the most competitive schools accept less than 15% of applicants; Stanford University, for example, normally accepts less than 10% of its applicants. Therefore students need to be extremely realistic about their chances of being accepted into their programme of interest. A wise student will apply to at least one programme where the chance of being accepted is very high.

The second level of difficulty to consider is that of the course work. Aside from trying to determine how difficult the actual material covered will be, international students need to also understand the difference between the most popular teaching styles used at MBA schools, and determine which of these will be best suited to them. Most MBA programmes employ a combination of case studies, lectures, and practical training. However, many programmes will typically emphasise one style over the others.

Applicants should know ahead of time which style is prevalent at the MBA schools they are considering. Another consideration is the amount of teamwork versus individual work that is required by the programme. Applicants should also keep in mind that team work is not always “co-operative” work in many MBA programmes, where students may in fact be encouraged to actively compete with their classmates. International students need to consider which of these educational styles will be most beneficial to them once they return to their home countries.

What concentrations are available?

Many MBA schools do not offer actual majors, but instead offer a concentration or area of emphasis. Some schools offer only a single degree with little flexibility in the choice of coursework; these are schools that emphasise the importance of a broad, well-rounded business education. Applicants need to determine whether this is what they are seeking and whether it will be well received by employers in their home country.

The most commonly available concentrations include: Finance, Management, Accounting, Marketing, International Business, Operations, and Information Systems. Other concentrations that are also popular, but not necessarily available at every school, include: Human Resources, Technology Management, E-Commerce, Entrepreneurship, and Health Care Management, just to name a few. Applicants should have no problem finding a variety of MBA programmes that reflect their own academic interests and career goals.

How much will the programme cost?

Aside from the obvious cost of the tuition to attend MBA school, international student applicants need to also calculate their living expenses while in the US, their travel expenses, and consider the cost of foregoing their wages while completing the programme. Taking all of these considerations into account, completing an MBA degree can easily cost upwards of $100,000, depending on the school selected. Financial aid for MBA school is uncommon in the US, and practically unheard of for international students.

Luckily, there is a large number of MBA schools in the US that offer affordable programmes, with tuition that is sometimes only $10,000 per year for an international student. However, students need to keep in mind that as with anything else, when it comes to an MBA degree you often get what you pay for. Therefore, international applicants need to make some very careful and realistic calculations about what the total cost of the programme will be before making any serious commitment.

Useful websites

www.educationusa.state.gov/graduate.htm

www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-studyus-grad.html

www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/mba/brief/mbarank_brief.php

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